


Vampires, Devils, and Shifters, Oh My!

by FriendlessAnimeLover



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Betrayal, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Mystery, ongoing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-06-25 14:52:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19747969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlessAnimeLover/pseuds/FriendlessAnimeLover
Summary: An AU where a vampire Rin and a vampire Shiro live together after Shiro saves Rin's life. They embark on a journey with cat shifter Kuro, devil-hunter Yukio, and dog shifter Mephisto in order to help Rin find and possibly exact revenge on those who ended his human life. However, when one's companions are comprised of devils and liars, truths are easily concealed and fabrication becomes reality. Rin will soon find that not all is as it seems, and the one responsible for his death, is closer that he thinks.





	1. Chapter One

_The flames leapt higher and higher. He was screaming, sobbing, he couldn’t breathe. Even more so than the smoke, the stench of his blood was suffocating. His legs faltered, and he crashed to the floor, unable to fight anymore. “Dammit, this is not how this is supposed to go!” He screamed. “I will not die here! I can’t die here!” He was crawling at this point, trying to get out._

_“You have quite the spirit in you, don’t you boy?” The silver voice of a devil echoed through the burning house, and the boy turned. Red eyes glowed from the shadows of the collapsing building, and the boy could barely make out the silhouette of the figure who stood there. “You’re dying boy. Did you know that?”_

_“Help me,” the boy croaked. “Please.”_

_“I could do that, but why should I? What would I gain out of it?”_

_“Anything. I’ll do anything, just help me!”_

_“Help you live, or help you get your much needed revenge?”_

_“Both.”_

_“And in exchange, you’ll do anything I ask of you?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Close your eyes, and don’t scream.”_

**Three Years Later...**

“Darling I’m ho-ome!”

The door burst open and the devil came waltzing in. He grinned cheekily at the boy. “Did ya miss me?” His fangs glinted harshly in the sunlight. The boy scowled over at him.

“I just swept,” he said, his hands on his hips. “When will you learn to come in without dragging all the dirt in the world with you?”

“Oh don’t be like that. I’ve been gone for a week, the least you could say is _Welcome Home Master Shiro_.”

“I would rather cut off my tongue,” he responded drily, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

“Ooh ouch, harsh! Mark my words Rin, you will say it one of these days.”

“Har har. You’re hilarious. Where’d you run to off this time Shiro?”

“I had to fetch a friend.”

“Are they like you?”

“Do you mean, are they male? Or, are they devilishly handsome like me?”

“Shiro, I’m serious.”

“No Rin. They’re not like me or you. They’re not _vampires_.”

“Do they know about us?”

“It would be weird if they didn’t.”

Before Rin could ask what that meant, Shiro turned and hollered, “Oi, Kuro! You coming?” The door to the looming mansion opened, but Kuro was the last thing Rin expected to come walking on in.

“You adopted a cat?” The words had no sooner left his mouth, than the cat growled and lunged for him. He tried to side-step, but he accidentally stepped too quickly, initiating his vamp-speed as he called it. He slammed into the wall, and cursed. Shiro howled with laughter. He always got such a kick out of watching Rin crash and burn. Growling, Rin picked himself up, ears burning. The cat glared reproachfully at him, before it began to shift. Rin backed away, keeping a wary eye on the creature. He still wasn’t quite used to the things his employer ran around with, seeing as the last time Shiro brought someone home, the stupid werewolf tried to _eat_ him. He and Bon still bickered about it whenever he came around.

A boy half his height replaced the hissing black cat. He had glittering golden green eyes, and skin as dark as shadows, but what really caught Rin's attention was his hair. Snow white hair, the harshness of it clashing with his skin, making him appear almost _ethereal_. Shiro let out a shriek before he had his arms wrapped around the boy. “Oh, I love it when you take a human form! Such a pretty boy you are!” His cheeks were flushed with excitement, and much to Rin’s shock, Kuro’s cheeks seemed to darken as well.

“Who’s that?” Kuro asked, jerking his head at Rin. Rin scowled at the boy’s tone but said nothing.

“This is Rin, and Rin this is Kuro!”

“Is he staying here for awhile?” Rin asked, bracing himself for the answer.

“Yup! Kuro’s homeless again! He’s staying for awhile! Hehehe, and he said it wouldn’t happen again. HAH! That reminds me, I win the bet! Fork it over!” Shiro sang, holding his hand out to Kuro. Kuro glared, but Shiro didn’t let up. “Fork it over, fork it over!” Shiro danced all around the living room, chanting those three words over and over. Rin grabbed the broom he’d set aside before Shiro came tumbling in, and whacked him on the head with it.

“For all that is holy, go wash yourself off! I just cleaned the damned place! Get whatever it is he owes you later!” Shiro pouted, but he knew that glint in Rin’s eyes. He scampered up the stairs and within seconds they could hear the shower running. He sighed and turned towards Kuro.

“So, do you need me to show you to a room or something?” He asked. Kuro gave him an icy look before he bared his teeth.

“Just cuz Master Shiro deemed you to be his _heir_ , doesn’t mean I accept you!”

“What?”

“Master Shiro’s the one who turned you, right?”

“Well, yeah. It’s part of the contract. He helps me live and exact revenge on those who tried to kill me, and in exchange I do whatever he wants. Although, I have to admit, when I made the deal, I didn’t expect that all he wanted from me was a housekeeper.”

“I’ll have you know, Master Shiro has never once turned anyone in the five-hundred years he’s been alive! Which means, he sees something in you, but it must be very hard to see since you’re completely and utterly unremarkable in the slightest,” Kuro sniffed.

“Hey! I’ll have you know, I was the top dog at my high school! Nobody messed with me!”

“They were probably just too scared of catching your stupid.”

“What was that?”

“You heard me!”

Both cat-boy and vamp-boy glared at each other, both ready to start swinging.

“Wow, you two are such good friends already! Daddy’s so proud!” Shiro said from the top of the stairs.

“We’re not getting along!” Both of them yelled at the same time.

“Yes, yes, I know, you guys are such tough guys, no friends allowed right? But, Kuro, besides the fact you needed a new place to stay, I’m assuming you know that you’re not staying rent-free?”

“I would never cheat you! What is it that you need?”

“I already called Yukio. He’ll be here in the morning.”

“Yukio?” Rin asked. “Is he another vampire or shifter or something?”

“Nope! He’s human!”

“Human? And he knows about all... _this_?” Rin gestured wildly around him to exaggerate his point.

“Yup!”

“And he’s okay with it.”

“More than okay! He’s a devil-hunter!”

Of all the things Shiro could have said next, that seemed like the most ridiculous thing Rin had ever heard. And that was saying a lot, considering his current situation.

“A _devil-hunter_?”

“Yuh-huh!”

“In most cases, wouldn’t he be, oh I don’t know, call me crazy, but wouldn’t he be our enemy?!?”

“Nah! He’s a good boy!”

“A good boy,” Rin repeated hollowly. This conversation just kept getting weirder and weirder. “He hunts devils like us, but he’s a good boy?”

“Yuperdoodledandy! And once he arrives, all _four_ of us are going on a trip! Whee!”

“HAH?” Both Kuro and Rin shouted.

“Well, I did promise you Rin, that should you get a chance to take your revenge, I would help you in any way possible, did I not?”

“I’m listening.”

“Let’s just say, we might have our first lead. So get some rest, pack a bag, cuz we’re going hunting!”

“And why pray tell, am I dragged into his mess?” Kuro asked, his lip curling.

Shiro didn’t bat an eye. “Because I said so! Now off you trot!”

Rin and Kuro exchanged begrudging glances before Rin turned to head up to his bedroom. “Oh and before I forget! You two are now roommates! Yaay!”

“NO WAY!” They shouted.

“I’m sorry, but did you think you had a choice?” Shiro giggled. He turned and flounced off, leaving the two of them gaping like fools in the foyer.

“I swear, Mephisto’s had way too much of an impact on him,” Kuro grumbled, once he recovered from the shock.

“Mephisto?”

“His boyfriend. They keep their relationship on the down-low though. He’s a shapeshifting devil.”

“So he’s like you? Does he turn into a cat too?”

“Nope. He’s a dirty dog,” Kuro sneered.

“Sounds like you don’t like him much,” Rin remarked.

“He’s a dog. I’m a cat. Put two and two together and show me where I’m supposed to sleep.”

Rin’s jaw ticked, but he said nothing else. He simply led the way to the room. Before Kuro could react, he vamp-sped to his bed, and flopped on it. Kuro’s golden green eyes glared daggers at him.

“My room,” Rin yawned. “You can sleep over there on the windowsill. Cats like that don’t they?” Without saying another word, he turned on his side, and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he was definitely feeding Shiro some liver for breakfast. Shiro hated liver like no other, but it was either that or he could cook for himself. And Shiro sucked at cooking. Grinning wickedly, Rin felt rather than heard Kuro shift just before he slipped into dreamland.

~~

Rin had just finished cooking when Shiro and Kuro entered the kitchen, bleary eyed and bed hair that stood up as if they just stuck their fingers in sockets. Wordlessly, Rin served everyone their meal and the reaction was instant. “NOOOOO!” Shiro screamed, once he realized what his meal consisted of. “RIIIINNN!”

“I’m done cooking,” he said curtly. Shiro gazed longingly at Rin’s plate which consisted of eggs and toast, but Rin kept his breakfast out of reach. Shiro’s shoulders sagged and he dutifully began to eat the loathsome meat. “Good boy,” Rin crooned, knowing how much Shiro hated it when he crooned. He stood up and walked back to the kitchen, where he retrieved two chilled glasses from the fridge. He walked back and slid one towards Shiro, the red liquid gently sloshing as he did so. Shiro gladly washed his palate with the drink, and Rin drained his as well, his blue eyes glowing red as he drank his real source of food. No sooner had they finished breakfast when the doorbell rang.

“That’ll be Yukio! I’m sure you two are packed and ready?” Shiro asked. They both nodded. “Good, good. Mephisto will be joining us when we hit our destination and our lovely ghost-girl Yuri will be watching over the house. Now, come on, we shan’t keep our lovely boy waiting!”

He skipped out of the dining room and Kuro leaned over to hiss, “By the way, you pull a stunt like last night, you’ll be limping for a week.”

“Try me,” Rin challenged, before he too stood up, grabbed his pack and followed after Shiro. He knew he should drop it, but getting under Kuro’s skin/fur was fun. He looked over his shoulder, smirked and said, “Kitty-cat.” Kuro’s screeching followed him all the way out the door, causing him to keel over laughing. Maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad. Teasing Kuro was a lot more fun than he could have anticipated and if there’s something Rin liked more than revenge, it was getting under people’s skin.

“What did you do to him?” Shiro asked. “Do I even want to know?”

“Nope. I’m assuming this is Yukio?” Rin asked, peering at the male in front of him. He was young, but sturdy. Yukio gave a slight incline of his head, before Kuro leapt out of the house, launching himself at Rin. Rin gave him three seconds, before he took off running, vamp-speed style. Shiro soon matched pace with him, before he began to lead the way towards their destination. The dull sound of a humming motorbike told Rin that Yukio was close behind. Making sure to keep Kuro at a safe distance, Rin let out a whoop and for the first time in forever, he ran as fast as he could, grateful that he didn’t have to worry about running into any walls anytime soon.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Yukio make a startling discovery about each other. Mephisto pops in to say "hi".

“So _you’re_ Shiro’s heir,” a voice purred and Rin jumped. He whirled around and found himself face to face with the weirdest man he’d ever come across. Purple hair was jammed underneath an enormous hat, smirking green eyes glowed back at him. He towered over Rin, he was easily over six feet, and to top off his oddness, he wore jester styled pants with a white suit-shirt.

“Who are you?” Rin asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

“Mephisto’s my name,” the man bowed. Rin blinked. _This_ was Shiro’s boyfriend? Then again, based on this man’s attire, he was probably just as frivolous as Shiro. Crap, they were perfect for each other in a terrifying way.

“Ah, I’m Rin,” Rin said, scratching the back of his head. Mephisto’s greeting still hadbeen a bit on edge. Kuro had said the same exact thing when they first met. “Er, if you’re looking for Shiro, he went off to enjoy the hot springs.”

When Shiro had told Rin, that after three years, they _finally_ had a lead on the people who attacked and nearly killed him, the last place he thought they were going, was a hot springs. Shiro had wasted no time in stripping and hopping right on in. Rin was currently scouring the area, trying to figure out why Shiro had dragged them out here.

“Rin, there you are!”

Rin and Mephisto both turned as Yukio came jogging up. Rin inclined his head to him and Yukio paused as he caught sight of Mephisto. The two of them locked eyes, before the taller man bowed and simply _vanished._

“Wha-?” Rin said.

“What were you doing with him?” Yukio asked quietly. Rin turned back towards him.

“He’s the one who approached me. Why?”

“Did he say anything weird?”

“Not really,” Rin shrugged. Yukio nodded and pushed up his glasses. “Say,” Rin began.

“Yes?”

“Have we met before?”

“Pardon?”

“I dunno, you just seem really familiar to me, I was just thinking maybe we’ve met before?”

“How long have you been with Shiro?”

“Three years.”

“Wait, you’ve only been a vampire for three years?” Yukio asked. Rin nodded. “How old were you?”

“Er…I was fifteen.”

“So you’d be eighteen now? When’s your birthday?”

“…Why so many questions about my age?”

“I’m just, testing a theory.”

“Ok…, yes I would be eighteen, and my birthday is December 27th.”

Yukio’s face went ashen and Rin raised an eyebrow. “One last question….,” he said, his voice hesitant.

“Ok.”

“What’s your last name?”

“Okumura.”

Yukio’s eyes widened as he scanned Rin up and down. “You…it… it’s really you!” Yukio said, grasping Rin’s shoulders as he continued to ogle him.

“Yeah, it’s me?” Rin asked, scrunching his face in confusion.

“Rin, it’s me! Yukio from the orphanage!”

Rin furiously combed through his memories as he tried to remember the young man standing in front of him.

“MOLES!” He shouted once the memory hit. Yukio’s face went red.

“Just drop that nickname already…,” he mumbled.

“Dude, where have you been? You said you would come visit, and you never did!” Rin said, clasping Yukio’s hands.

He and Yukio had been inseparable at the orphanage. They were both same age, had the same birthday, and they had latched on to each other quickly. The other kids had liked to tease Yukio about his glasses, and Rin would always chase them off. They had so much fun together, he had been devastated when Yukio was adopted.

They’d clung on to each other and cried the day Yukio’s new family had come to pick him up. No one wanted Rin, everyone heard the rumors of what a vicious child he was. He’d been called a “demon child” more times than he could count, ruining whatever chances he had at getting out of that hellhole.

Yukio had to be pried away from Rin, they’d both screamed and sobbed. Yukio had screamed that he would visit, promised. For months, Rin clung on to that promise, wanting to see the closest person he had to a brother again. The only reason he got up in the mornings, was the thought that Yukio would come for him.

Finally, in a fit of drunken cruelty, the orphanage leader had laughed as he dashed Rin’s hopes, telling him that Yukio and his family had moved to America. He wasn’t coming back. Rin stopped eating, stopped fighting. He didn’t get up until the orphanage master picked up his futon and dumped him outside. Even then, he just laid on the ground, mourning his lost friend. None of the other kids liked Rin, they never opened up to him like Yukio, never laughed with him like Yukio. His emotional anguish at the void Yukio left, was too much for his ten-year old self to handle, and his brain had ended up blocking memories of Yukio away.

Now, Yukio stood in front of him, and all the memories came rushing back in broken fragments and Rin felt a lump in his thought. It was Yukio, all grown, alive, and a demon-hunter of all things. But that didn’t seem to matter, nothing mattered, as Rin flung his arms around the young man, and held him in his arms for the first time in eight years.

Yukio hesitated, knowing what Rin was. But, Rin’s scent hit him, and a wave of nostalgia rolled through him. Even though Rin was technically dead, he still held the same smell he had all those years ago. Yukio couldn’t explain the scent, the scent only existed on Rin and nowhere else. But, whenever Rin was around, Yukio smelled blue fire, as if two halves of Rin were warring against each other. 

Yukio hugged him back, the hole in his heart finally filled again. He’d missed Rin terribly, nothing he did dull the ache of not having Rin at his side. When he heard of the orphanage burning down, his heart had stopped. Hardly anyone was hurt, but Rin Okumura was nowhere to be found.

Now as Rin hugged him, Yukio realized the horrifying truth. Rin had died in that fire. If Shiro hadn’t turned him, he would never have had this chance to reunite with his closest childhood friend. Vampire or not, Rin was still Rin, and Yukio had still missed him as fiercely as Rin had missed him.

“Woah, I leave for you for five minutes, and you’ve already got Yukio in your clutches.”

Both of them broke apart and turned, Kuro scowling at them as he licked at an ice cream cone.

“Hey,” Rin said, still fighting tears. Kuro’s face softened as he regarded the both of them. It wasn’t often he saw Yukio, but the young man had always appeared stoic, his eyes empty, and he always seemed to be searching for something, or someone. Kuro now had his answer. For the first time, Yukio’s teal eyes, were vivid with emotion, he was smiling, and he still had his arm slung around Rin’s shoulders.

As for Rin, he looked near tears, something that shocked the hell out of Kuro. Rin was fiesty, snarky, rude, and bossy. But he wasn’t a crier. When Shiro first came to fetch him, he’d been overjoyed. He wouldn’t admit it, but he loved Shiro, Shiro was the only one who gave him that delicious drink, and Shiro was the only one who understood him. His love wasn’t the same as Mephisto’s, but it was still love. But, when Shiro told him of the boy he’d taken in, Kuro was furious. For as long as he’d known Shiro, he’d always wanted to live with him. Shiro would only let him stay for a few weeks at the latest, before kicking him out. But this boy, this boy had wormed his way in, and he obviously had something Kuro lacked.

When Kuro had sarcastically remarked that it must have been the tears of a dying boy that made Shiro take him in, Shiro told him that in the three years he knew Rin, the only time he saw him cry, was when it was too painful for him to breathe in those last few moments of being human. Even when he turned, and was dragged into this world, even when he’d nearly been torn to shreds by Bon, Rin hadn’t cried. To see Rin wavering, made Kuro tone it down a bit, before he asked the question he already knew the answer to.

“You two know each other?”

Of course they knew each other, but Kuro wanted to know _how_ they knew each other. Yukio and Rin paused before they both blurted out the same words at the same time.

“He’s my brother.”

As the weight of those three words sank in, they both paused and turned to look at each other. After a few heartbeats, Yukio’s lips curved upwards in a blinding smile and Rin couldn’t hold it in anymore. Before he could stop them, his tears pooled in his eyes and poured down his cheeks.

“Yeah, he’s my brother,” Yukio grinned, causing Rin to cry even harder.

Rin flung his arms around Yukio once more, not caring that Kuro was staring, not caring that the entire street was staring. After all these years, he finally had the person he missed most back at his side. Even if this whole lead turned out to be a flop, he was never letting Yukio leave him again. If anything good came out of this whole vampire business, it was that Rin finally had his family back again. And he would sell his soul to the devil if it meant never losing Yukio again.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation between devils reveals there is more to Rin's story than he knows.

“Heee heee Yukkkiioooo,” Rin drawled as he draped himself over his brother. Yukio’s glasses glinted but he said nothing as Rin continued to cling to him.

“What’s gotten into him?” Kuro asked, dropping down next to Shiro, crossing his legs and taking a sip of Shiro’s home-brewed catnip wine.

“Mephisto thought it would be funny to spike his juice,” Yukio said, shooting a glare at the eccentric man. He grinned cheekily back before leaning against Shiro’s shoulder. Shiro smiled gayly down at him before downing another cup of sake.

“Yukio, are you not drinking?” Kuro asked, his cat ears popping up as the wine began to slowly take effect on him. Yukio had always found it curious, that despite Kuro’s blindingly white hair, his ears were a sleek black. Whenever Kuro drank, his human and cat characteristics blended together, and any moment now, his tail would pop out.

“As I am both the only human in the room, and underage, I’m gonna have to decline,” Yukio said, sniffing his drink before taking another gulp. Mephisto was a mischievous one and the last thing he wanted to be was drunk around a bunch of silver-tongued devils.

“One drink won’t hurt,” Mephisto purred. Yukio shot an annoyed look his way but before he could say anything, Shiro spoke up.

“Is Rin sleeping?”

Yukio looked down at his lap where Rin was sprawled across, waved a hand over his face, and nodded.

“He’s out. I’m gonna take that as my queue to leave. He can share my room,” Yukio said standing up. He bent down and grabbed one of Rin’s arms and draped it over his shoulder, holding it in place, his other arm snaking around Rin’s waist and settling on his hip to help keep him upright. 

“Oh thank god,” Kuro said. “He snores like a mother-”

“Okay! Night night!” Shiro cut in, interrupting Kuro’s slurred cursing. Yukio inclined his head, and turned away in order to hide his small smile at that. Shiro had always been strangely protective over him, and even though Yukio was no stranger to curses and slurs, Shiro still did his best to censor his peers when Yukio was around. It was oddly endearing and while he would never admit it, Yukio’s heart always warmed when it happened.

Yukio walked out, and Shiro immediately set down his glass. Mephisto sat up, and Kuro stood up, stretched before putting his cat ears away. His glazed eyes came into focus and both of them looked over at Shiro.

“So? What pray tell are we doing here?” Kuro asked. Shiro looked over at him. “We all know the person Rin’s hunting, was always just a mile down the road from you. Why cook up this goose chase?”

“Rin’s been with me for a little over three years now. His memories are fuzzy, and he’s becoming more antsy by the day. I made a deal with him, but I’m not prepared for him to learn the truth quite yet. There is someone here who can shoulder part of the blame, but not much.”

“Oh, are you referring to Shiratori per chance?” Mephisto drawled.

“You’ve planted and removed the correct memories already I assume?” Shiro responded.

“But of course. His answers will quell some of Rin’s rage, and lead him to a path far from the one he needs to take.”

“When are you two gonna stop lying to him?” Kuro asked quietly. They both looked over at him. “I mean, I don’t like the guy, but he trusts you Shiro. The truth is going to come out sooner or later, and when he learns of all the steps you’ve taken to hide it from him, he’ll be devastated.”

“I know,” Shiro murmured. “That’s why I invited Yukio. I met Yukio when he was in America. He was around ten or eleven at the time and he was doing everything he could to fit in with his new family. He soon warmed up to me, and I learned about the brother he was forced to leave behind. I wanted to bring Rin to Yukio for their 16th birthday, but when I went to pick Rin up, the fire had already spread.”

“So that’s why you turned him? Because you felt bad for a human who’ll die in a few decades?” Kuro asked incredulously.

“Part of the reason, yes,” Shiro admitted.

“What’s the other part?” Mephisto asked. “Both Kuro and I are dying to know what you saw in this boy. In the centuries that you’ve roamed this world, he is the first person you have ever turned and we are curious as to why.”

“Mmm, even if I were to explain it, I couldn’t. Something about him, intrigued me from the moment I first laid my eyes on him.”

“So, for all the others who wanted your poison, all they had to do was find you when they were dying and sobbing like a baby?” Kuro scoffed.

“I saw Rin before the fire.”

Now that was news to both Kuro and Mephisto. They glanced at each other before turning back to Shiro.

“What?”

Shiro shrugged. “He was fourteen I believe when I first saw him. Yukio was constantly grieving Rin’s absence, so I told him I would check on Rin for him. He was wreck back then. He’d been devil hunting for two years, and he was struggling to remain top of his class, and he was lonely. Loneliness can drive humans to the edge and I worried about him. So I trekked back to Japan, and found Rin. He was fighting when I arrived. I don’t know what the fight was about, but he won. He was bloody and beaten, but he still chased them off, tails between their legs.”

Kuro heard the pride in Shiro’s voice and he hated that a fourteen year old delinquent was the person Shiro chose over him. “Wow, he sounds like quite a savage even back then,” he remarked bitterly. Shiro glanced over at him before resuming his story.

“However, instead of going to get his wounds treated, he laid down in the grass, and watched the clouds. I went to approach him, when another person came flying out of nowhere screaming bloody murder. Although he did a good job hiding it, I could smell his fear. I saw the man grab his injured arm and shake him like a rag doll, slapping him a few times, before throwing him back down to the ground. Through the whole thing, the man was screaming, but Rin didn’t cry, didn’t yell, didn’t fight back. He just waited for the man to leave before he brought his knees to his chest, and rocked himself as he took a few deep breaths, calming himself. It was apparent he was all to used to that sort of treatment. I went back some more, but I never approached him directly.”

Kuro immediately regretted his earlier words. Shiro smiled knowingly at him.

“But, no matter how many times he was hurt, cursed, tossed to the side as if he were nothing more than street trash, I never saw him cry or yell or scream. He dealt with it and fought harder the next time not caring about the repercussions. I soon learned the reason why he fought. He fought people who hurt those who couldn’t fight back. If they were hurting kids, Rin was there. If they were hurting animals, Rin was there. He was there, sticking up for anybody and everybody.”

“You were considering Yukio to be your heir weren’t you?” Mephisto interrupted. Shiro and Kuro both turned towards him. “You found a genius in America, but he was lonely and you were scared of losing him. That’s why you went such lengths for him. You went back to Japan, to find his brother, and the minute you saw Rin, you knew you couldn’t leave him alone either.”

“Is that why?” Shiro asked quietly. Mephisto faltered at the look on his lover’s face. A quiet storm and icy rage. Kuro shrank back. He hated it when Shiro was mad. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, his wrath was legendary. “Jealousy?” His voice was a lethal calm, and Kuro wanted to scamper off. Mephisto blinked, before he laughed and placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder.

“Now, now, Shiro, let’s not go there. Let’s just say you weren’t the only one with an invested interest in your ward.”

Kuro’s head was spinning, he had no idea what was going on. He knew bits and pieces of the truth behind Rin’s death, but something told him, what he knew, barely made up a fraction of the whole. Mephisto and Shiro locked eyes, neither of them saying anything. The silence was deafening and the tension was so thick, one could cut it with a knife. It was becoming hard to breathe, and Kuro’s hands began to tremble.

The door bust open and Yukio stood there. “Sorry to bother you, but Rin decided to hog the futon. Can I use one of yours?”He asked breathless. He paused as he took in the scene before him. “Is everything ok in here?”

And just like that, the spell broke, and both Shiro and Mephisto cracked up. They turned to Yukio and Shiro said, “Go ahead. Mephisto and I only need one anyways.”

Kuro was so relieved at Yukio’s timely entrance that he shifted back into his cat form and darted to him, jumping on his shoulder, grateful for the security he provided. Yukio glanced over at him, shock in his eyes. Kuro was not one to ride on someone’s shoulders, the only one he hitched a ride on was Shiro.

“Good for you Yukio! It looks like our little kitty cat is warming up to you!” Shiro chortled. Yukio nodded, but from the suspicion in his eyes, Kuro could tell he could tell something was up. He retrieved the spare futon, bowed and left the room. Once they were a safe distance away, Kuro leapt off and shifted back to his human form.

“What was that about?” Yukio asked as they both entered his room. Rin was still passed on, belly out, leg off the futon, and snoring like a truck driver.

“Nothing,” Kuro said, helping Yukio put together the bed.

“If it was nothing, why are you too freaked to go back to your own room?”

Kuro kept his mouth shut. If Yukio knew of the deceitful intentions going on behind closed doors, he would not be pleased to say the least.

“Ok, I’m going!” Kuro announced.

“Goodnight,” Yukio said. Kuro nodded and bounded out, all but running back to his room, wanting nothing more to do with Shiro and Mephisto for the night. Shiro’s furious expression flashed in his mind and he shivered and dove under the covers, shifting back to his cat form, and curling up. As of now, the terrifying argument was over, and all Kuro wanted was to pass out and forget the eyes of a wrathful devil.

**Author's Note:**

> Yukio and Rin are not biological brothers in this AU
> 
> Romance is hinted at between characters, but is not the main focus of the story


End file.
